Context on the importance of remittances
Remittances are an important source of external finance for many developing / emerging countries. Here is a selection of fresh background data and examples of the significance of remittances.
Rising Obesity in OECD Countries
By 2030, obesity rates may reach 47% in US, 39% in Mexico and 35% in England according to the latest Obesity Update published by the OECD.
Jason Hickel on the need for De-Growth
Anthropologist at the LSE, Jason Hickel argues in this two minute piece for Newsnight that we need to overcome our addiction to GDP.
The Credit Crunch a Decade On - Some Big Numbers
Here is a really snazzy graphic that might be used in lessons when teaching the background to and the aftermath of the credit crunch which started in earnest ten years ago.
France makes childhood vaccinations compulsory
A really interesting example to use when discussing the economic and social impact of vaccinations. In order to prevent a measles epidemic, France has just made many more vaccinations compulsory by...
Mind the Gap - Transport Infrastructure
In late July my local council announced that a new railway station was to be built near Peterlee in County Durham. The station, serving the town of Horden, is estimated to cost £10.55 million with...
Demographic Change and Secular Stagnation
Is the ageing population evident across many developed countries a source of slower long-term economic growth?
Fresh Perspectives on Wealth, Savings and Health Inequalities
There has been a raft of newly-published data in the scale of inequality in the UK including a glaring divide in health outcomes between North and South.
New Behavioural Economics Resources
We've curated a fresh selection of articles and posts on aspects of behavioural economics. We have also collated lots of behavioural economics resources in this collection.
Global Financial Crisis - Ten Years On
Naturally the tenth anniversary of the onset of the Global Financial Crisis will bring many analysis and comment pieces. We will curate the best of them in this blog.
ONS reimagines how to measure the economy
Deep inside the offices of the ONS's Data Science Campus in Newport (Gwent) data crunchers are hacking away trying to find new and better ways of measuring the economy.
Sterling's slide yet to help the UK economy rebalance
According to this piece from Chris Giles in the FT, UK exporters have raised their prices and profit margins rather than driven increased volumes and market share in response to the post-Brexit...
Evidence based policies are often built on sand
Last week we saw yet another major reversal of opinion by experts. For years we have all been lectured severely on the need to finish every single course of prescription drugs. But the latest...
Global Economy - Seven Measures of Change in Economic Power
This short Financial Times video is excellent for introductory lessons and discussion on the changing centre of gravity in the world economy.
British Gas hikes electricity prices by 12.5%
British Gas (Centrica) is increasing electricity prices by 12.5% in September in a move affecting over 3 million customers.
Should there be a new minimum price for books?
Twenty years on from the end of the Net Book Agreement, author Phillip Pulman has argued that a minimum price for books is justified to help secure the future for smaller independent book-sellers.
Reinventing the wheel - exploring the NAIRU
Chris Dillow explores the some of the thinking behind the construction of the NAIRU concept.
Which countries have the lowest import tariffs?
Our friends at Trade New Analysis provide the answer with this handy chart for use in the economics classroom
Wage determination and labour economics may be a topic taught early on in the academic year, so I was struck by this recent report highlighting how money can bring happiness - as long as it is used...
Economics: An Illustrated Timeline
This economics timeline provides an overview of historic events, schools of thought, and the people involved.